


Only Love Can Leave Such a Mark

by jule1122



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Alex Manes Loves Michael Guerin, Fluff, Future Fic, Handprint Fic, M/M, Michael Guerin Loves Alex Manes, minor injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:34:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25668268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jule1122/pseuds/jule1122
Summary: From the beautiful words prompt list:Naz (Urdu)- assurance/pride in knowing that the other’s love is unconditional and unshakable.
Relationships: Michael Guerin/Alex Manes
Comments: 36
Kudos: 162





	Only Love Can Leave Such a Mark

**Author's Note:**

> Requested by @britrnm   
> Title from the U2 song "Magnificent"

This isn’t how Michael imagined it, straddling Alex’s lap in the back of Isobel’s car while he keeps pressure on the gunshot wound in Alex’s shoulder, and she speeds them toward the hospital.

Isobel swerves hard to the left, and Michael catches the way Alex winces. “You wanna be a little more careful up there,” he yells to her.

“Just trying to make sure your boyfriend doesn’t bleed out in my car. Thank God I went for leather seats,” Isobel responds with forced levity.

“The bullet went straight through, it’s basically just a flesh wound,” Alex reminds them for what Michael thinks has to be the fifth time. “Kyle will have it taken care of in a few minutes.”

Despite Alex’s words, Michael sees the way he grits his teeth, and his rage spikes. Three years of playing cat and mouse with Mr. Jones, and they finally thought they had him. Then the bastard shot Alex as a distratration. The worst part is it worked, Michael released the hold he’d been trying to establish the minute he saw Alex go down.

“The next we catch up with Mr. Jones, I’m going to melt his fucking brain,” Michael growls.

“Hey,” Alex reaches over with his right hand and tilts Michael’s face up so he’s looking at him instead of his shoulder. “I’m okay.”

Michael watches the way Alex smiles as he tucks one of Michael’s curls behind his ear. God, he loves him so fucking much. And he’s so tired of seeing Alex in pain. There’s nothing he can do about Alex’s leg, he knows that, but this alien bullshit wasn’t supposed to touch Alex again. He should have been able to protect him.

Alex shakes his head as if he senses the direction Michael’s thoughts have taken. He takes a deep breath and leans into Alex’s hand, turning so he can kiss his palm. The way Alex smiles at him dulls the rest of his anger. He wishes he could do the same for Alex, find the right gesture, right thing to say, and take his pain away. 

Michael notices the hand he has pressed against Alex’s wound feels warm. He looks down, concerned Alex is bleeding again, but instead sees his palm is glowing. When he focuses on the warmth, he can feel Alex healing, can feel the pain fading as the wound closes. He can’t see it happening, but he still knows when to pull his hand away.

“Hey Iz,” he calls out, “can you throw me a bottle of acetone and slow the fuck down.”

“Really, Michael? I’m sure Alex appreciates my haste.” Michael can hear the concern underlying her irritation. 

He catches the bottle she tosses back at him then holds his hand up so she can see the glow fading from his palm in the rearview mirror. “You can just take us home. Alex is fine.”

The car slows as Isobel looks back over her shoulder quickly. “I didn’t think you could do that.”

Michael shrugs, as surprised as she is since his previous attempts to learn healing had been failures. “Guess I just needed the right motivation.”

He catches Alex’s eye as he says it, wanting to make sure he’s alright. Alex is flexing his shoulder, pulling his shirt away to examine the now smooth skin.

“You did that,” he looks at Michael in amazement.

“Yeah,” Michael gives him a quick kiss before sliding off his lap and taking a long drink of acetone to counteract the dizziness he’s starting to feel.

“My hero,” he hears Alex tease before he closes his eyes.

Michael wakes the next morning to an empty bed and a sense of wonder mixed with something almost like pride. “Alex?” he calls as he sits up and rubs his eyes.

“In here,” he hears from the bathroom.

When Michael reaches the open door of the bathroom, he sees Alex standing in front of the mirror staring at the iridescent handprint on his left shoulder. He leans against the door frame and stares along with him. He did that, left a mark as proof he was able to heal Alex, his handprint glowing on Alex’s unmarked skin. Michael doesn’t think he’s ever been more grateful for his powers. 

Alex meets his eyes in the mirror, “It’s beautiful.”

You’re beautiful, is what Michael thinks although he doesn’t say it aloud. He looks at Alex, hair sticking up, wearing nothing but threadbare boxers and feels the heady mix of desire and love he’s always associated with Alex. It had taken time for Alex to be completely comfortable with Michael seeing him like this, no prosthetic, scars not only from his leg but a lifetime of injuries visible, and it still felt like a gift. He’s eyes are drawn again to the handprint, and he’s so relieved there is one less scar on Alex’s body.

He steps forward, intending to wrap his arms around Alex and hold him until he’s convinced he’s unharmed and safe before dragging him back to bed.

Alex turns before he reaches him, eyes wide, “Is that how you feel? About me?”

“All the time,” Michael answers without even needing to think about it. He can’t believe he didn’t realize earlier that the wonder and pride he felt was from Alex, that the handprint would allow them to share feelings. Now that he concentrates, he can separate the steady thrum of love he feels coming from Alex from his own feelings. It’s such a beautiful thing, like a physical manifestation of the look in Alex’s eyes just before they kiss and the way his voice softens when he says Michael’s name.

Michael hasn’t doubted Alex’s love for him in a long time, but experiencing it like this, feeling the strength of it, almost overwhelms him. He shifts his focus to his own feelings, wanting to let Alex feel how much he is loved in return, how loving Alex is the foundation of his soul.

Alex’s face lights up, and Michael feels a thread of joy weave it’s way into the love Alex has for him. 

“Michael,” Alex breathes.

It’s enough to break the spell, to let Michael move again. He reaches Alex and presses his hand against the mark he left before sliding it over Alex’s heart. “All the time,” he says again. “Every day, this is how I feel about you.”

Alex places his hand over Michael’s, intertwining their fingers. “I love you. Every minute, always, I love you.”

“I know.” And he does. He’s known for years, and when the handprint fades, he’ll still know. As wonderful as it is to be able to share their feelings like this, he’s learned the importance of saying the words. “I love you too.”

He feels how his words affect Alex, and he flushes from the beauty, the intimacy of experiencing it along with him. He doesn’t know how long the handprint will last, but he wants them to enjoy it. Michael leans forward and presses a kiss to the center of the handprint, smiling when he hears Alex gasp. “I love you, Alex. Come back to bed and let me show you.”


End file.
